A Skype chat window popped up. It was a message from someone that I regularly chat to. It said:
**(my friend's name)** says: 12:06:35 PM
hey
--------------------------------12:06:57 PM
where I put ur photo :D
--------------------------------12:07:00 PM
now u populr
--------------------------------12:07:04 PM
http;//www.******.net/*****-gallerys/usr****/dsc027.jpg

(I changed text to asterisks.)

The wording was not what he would ever write, so I knew that it could not be my friend, but the link seemed harmless enough and I was curious to know if it was a picture of myself. How can opening a JPEG image harm my computer. So I clicked on the link to see what it was and I was immediately prompted to accept a .SCR file.

.SCR files, when harmless, are screen savers. But they can just as easily be malicious viruses or worms. NEVER accept an unsolicited .SCR file.

How does a .JPG turn into a .SCR? Very easily. Any beginner cyber-criminal would know how to do it.

But what is more interesting is that this lowlife managed to masquerade as my friend. That was a waste of good intelligence.

Now I must worry about my Skype chat as well! I think that I have reason to be grumpy ;-)